Roughneck Jihad Returns to Boot Records for New LP “Methanol” Distilling His Chemistry with Senz Beats (Album Review)
This is the 11th studio LP from the South Bay Area, Northern California emcee Roughneck Jihad. A member of the trio 3rd Sight, he would go on to drop his last 10 full-lengths along with 10 extended plays & a mixtape in over a decade. The most notable being his 2nd EP The Little Assassination Handbook produced by Brussels, Belgium producer Senz Beats under Boot Records. The sequel Lobespierre came out in 2023 to mixed reception & have gone back to the Manchester, England, United Kingdom indie label 3 years later for the trilogy chapter Methanol.
“Great Like Gonzo” hops over a psychedelic rap boom bap intro with a fuzzy guitar sample talking about keeping his enemies close whereas “PCP Flow” instrumentally gives off a shimmery yet dusty vibe likening his cadence to angel dust. “Tongue Toast” embraces a jazzier sound talking about the karma police needing an injunction of some sorts just before “Circle of Life” incorporates some pianos cautioning that he ain’t the guy one should pester.
As for “Magnetar”, we have the Roughneck Jihad over an groovy beat talking about having the capability of smackin’ styles up similarly to a misogynistic pimp while “Life in the City” reaches the midway point giving us his understanding of living in a metropolis. “New Eugenics” kicks off the 2nd half of Methanol on the bloodthirsty boom bap tip cuttin’ muhfuckas off like weeds while the horn-driven “Barbarella” talks about keeping the tech ready & others needing to catch up to him.
“Doo Doo” gets the 4th quarter going with a shrilling instrumental ripping apart any wack rapper who can’t keep up with him lyrically while “Methanal Flame” talks about executing anything that moves in his vicinity & Hell smelling like napalm in the morning. “Rap in Québéc” discusses there being no artist that can do what he does without paying dues & the outro “Your Favorite” wraps things up getting on his Bay shit, advising to keep ya mouth shut after runnin’ up in cribs.
Both of these guys have each been around for nearly 3 decades but regardless of how some people feel about Lobespierre or even the Def Boys EP that recently came out near this past January’s conclusion, Methanol certainly makes for Jihad the Roughneck MC’s most enjoyable collection of material coincidentally since Boot Records signed him 5 years earlier. He & Senz are pretty much distilling their chemistry rather than providing a weird revolution of the mind, making another great case for the Disgruntled Sound Recordings’ founder ranking amongst the west coast’s most underrated.
Score: 8/10
